When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, its a good core workout. If youre sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More

In the past 30 years, light artists have reimagined an art form that has always had the ability to turn the night sky, or a simple window, into luminescence. Last fall, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts turned its southern glass wall into a parade of sound-sensing lights, Lightswarm, that changes with the movements of nearby people and things. Future Cities Lab, the San Francisco design company behind Lightswarm, has originated another notable light sculpture. Located by the YBCA's steps at 701 Mission, Murmur Wall will light up in arresting ways as it incorporates local trending search engine results and social media postings. Onlookers can offer their own contributions, which will feed into the Murmur Wall's data stream and light up the sculpture. What's trending in San Francisco? If you're walking by the YBCA, you can see firsthand — at least through light patterns that reflect the city's volatile internet habits.
Murmur Wall debuts Thursday at 6 p.m. and continues through May 31, 2017, at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., S.F. Free; 415-978-2700 or ybca.org. More

Friday, October 12, 2012

Gwen Araujo is a hero not many people know. She wasn't a politician or a lawyer -- she wasn't even an activist, but her death changed many laws and many lives in the transgender community.

Araujo was born a healthy baby boy named Edward Araujo Jr., but Araujo never felt like a boy. Sylvia Guerrero, Araujo's mother, said before Araujo was born that she dreamed she had a daughter and preemptively named her Amber Rose.

Guerrero said that from an early age, she knew that her child was different, and from kindergarten through high school, she watched her child be teased, bullied, harassed, and treated very differently than other children. Guerrero spent a lot of time in the principal's office, fighting for and defending her child on several occasions.

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Sylvia Guerrero

People called her child names, even in front of her. "It never mattered how many hugs or kisses I could heap up on Gwen, I knew it did not make up for all the ugliness she experienced in this world."

In 1999, a very brave Araujo confessed to her mother, that while she was born a boy, she did not identify as one. She told her mom how she felt "like a freak" and did not understand why she was born a boy. Araujo then decided, that she no longer wanted to be called Eddie. After several girl names she decided on Gwen, after her idol Gwen Stefani.

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Gwen Araujo

She wanted to be referred to as Gwen and as a girl, the gender she felt she was. Sylvia wholly accepted her child, body and soul. She supported and loved her through her transition from Eddie to Gwen. But no matter how much love she and her other three children lavished upon Gwen, her daughter continued to be in pain because so much of their community did not accept her.

During Gwen's transition, Guerrero and her family went to their family church and the reception to Gwen was far from loving. So Guerrero and her entire family walked out because they did not want Gwen to feel ostracized. Guerrero is a deeply religious woman, and it hurt that her church of all places would discriminate against her daughter and family.

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Sylvia Guerrero with Gwen's Urn

When Gwen entered high school, school administrators would not allow her to use the girl's restroom, and boys bullied her and threatened her on a daily basis. Gwen reluctantly stopped attending school because of the abuse. "The high school threatened that they would find Gwen a truant and fine me. As a parent I was frustrated and I had no support," says Guerrero.

Guerrero watched her child turn to drugs and alcohol due to the despair and depression she was facing on a regular basis. By the time Gwen was 17, she had transitioned into a knockout and the attention she received from boys was very noticeable.

A few months before Gwen's murder, she was with friends, and a so-called female friend outed Gwen to a man who was clearly interested in her. Upon finding out that Gwen had male genitalia, he cracked a beer bottle and jabbed Gwen in the stomach with it.

Guerrero was called and immediately rushed to pick up her daughter. Guerrero was understandably upset and began to ask Araujo if she understood just how scared she was for her. Guerrero knew the world was an ugly place and she feared that one day, something insidious would happen to her daughter because she was transgender and identified as female.

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Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"